Showing posts with label sprucing up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sprucing up. Show all posts

Thursday, 17 March 2022

Retro clock

This project was part of the speedcrafting sessions with Helen Robertson from Shetland. I joined these crafting sessions during the pandemic and they were an amazing way to tackle feeling empty and isolated.

The patchwork clock is made from an old vinyl record, covered with fabric patches.

It’s all retro vibes here!









Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Doll make-over

Like many other people, we used the lockdown period to clean out our attic. I came across this doll that a dear, old relative gave to me as a present in the seventies.  I was a little girl back than and not very fond of the doll, but I’ve held on to it because of the person who gave it to me. I still think it is rather ugly and even a bit scary... But I’m also still not able to get rid of her, so I decided to give her a make-over, using fabric scraps from old clothes and a beaded necklace. Now she looks nice and happy and keeps me company in my workspace.

Projects like this I find the nicest and most rewarding. You get to be creative, look for creative solutions, use your stash to make something you are attached to beautiful again. 

 (And I hate throwing stuff in the bin 😊)



 
                                         Poor old dolly before, not very well loved I'm afraid...

much happier now!




Thursday, 29 April 2021

Bottle wears sock

I love glass and beautiful bottles I tend to keep. 

Here is one of these bottles I decorated with a piece cut off a felted wool sock. I embroidered some abstract flowers onto the fabric. The yarn is a Nepalese hennep cotton blend, naturally died with walnut.

The result is quite stylish I think...





Friday, 8 January 2021

The nicest words

When we assembled this blue cupboard (from the well-known furniture store) we noticed one of the little crossbars wasn't properly painted. Instead of going through the hassle of driving back to the store and sorting it out, I decided to find a solution myself. I painted the part white and stamped some lovely words on it and let the words spread onto the sideboard. They are all wonderful Dutch words, starting with my favourite letter W. Love my cupboard now!



 



Inspired by this, I decided to spruce up another handy but boring cupboard this way. 
"Always another walk", something Virginia Woolf used to say, walking to her sisters house every day in the Sussex South Downs. I love walking.
"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday, and all is well". I spotted this great saying in the tower at Sissinghurst Castle, where Vita Sackville-West used to live. It is a good thing to see first thing in the morning. 


Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Online speedcrafting

I recently participated in a series of online speedcrafting sessions hosted by the Shetland- based artist Helen Robertson. What a great experience it was, especially in these times of social distancing, to make something in a group, in this international setting. And a lovely group it was too!

We got the materials sent to us in advance and on Wednesday evenings we crafted, via Zoom, some very nice original things for two hours or so. 

Some of the crafts I never did before and were a very lovely surprise. Because of the time limit, you don't think too much and just get on with it. That in itself is liberating. 

We ended up making some jewelry with seaglass and sea pottery, some broches from wool fabric and tweed, a fabric landscape, some little knitted houses (on these I'll write a seperate post soon)  and a scallop shell decorated with decoupage.

Helen also hosts knitting workshops and retro and Christmas-themed speedcrafting sessions., which I highly recommend joining : you get to work on original pieces, with great materials and in a friendly atmosphere and you learn some great new skills!


the broches:


seaglass jewelry:  


a Shetland landscape made from textile scraps:



the shell with decoupage: